National Basketball Association
Utah 107, L.A. Lakers 101
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, December 5, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #47 Bennie Adams, #7 Lauren Holtkamp, #41 Ken Mauer
Attendance: 18279

LOS ANGELES -- Despite playing without their coach, the Utah Jazz used a balanced attack to slip past the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.

Gordon Hayward scored 23 points, and the Jazz defeated the Lakers 107-101 at Staples Center.

The Jazz also got 16 points from Rodney Hood; 14 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks from Rudy Gobert, and 12 points from Boris Diaw. All five Utah starters scored in double figures.

Utah coach Quin Snyder missed the contest with an unknown illness that apparently developed before the game. Assistant coach Igor Kokoskov replaced Snyder. The Jazz also played without point guard George Hill, who missed his third consecutive game with a sprained left big toe.

But that didn't slow Hayward and company in the second half as the Jazz (13-9) benefitted from a more complete effort.

"We moved the basketball, got some good looks, some open shots and then we guarded on the defensive end," said Hayward, who scored 15 points after intermission and also finished with six rebounds and five assists. "I think it was just a matter of getting stops and scoring on the other end."

Lou Williams tallied 38 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the short-handed Lakers (10-13), who lost their third in a row. Williams just missed posting back-to-back 40-point games; he scored 40 against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

Williams is the first Laker to produce 38 points or more in consecutive games since Kobe Bryant achieved the feat on March 8, 2014. Williams said the absence of injured Lakers D'Angelo Russell (sore right knee), Nick Young (calf strain), Larry Nance (right knee contusion) and Jose Calderon (right hamstring strain) forced him to shoulder more of a scoring load.

"We've got guys down. When you've got guys down, that averages 16 points a game you've got to try and close the gap," said Williams, who hit 13 of 27 shots, including 4 of 9 from behind the 3-point arc.

Jordan Clarkson contributed 17 points and Julius Randle collected 11 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles.

The Lakers closed within three points on two occasions down the stretch, but each time the Jazz answered. Williams' floater cut the deficit to 100-97, but Hood made a 3-pointer to put the Jazz up by six with 3:01 remaining. Hood followed with a turnaround jumper in the lane for an eight-point edge 45 seconds later to practically ice the decision as the Lakers were unable to convert their opportunities.

"We just came out and played defense (in the second half)," said Gobert, who had eight offensive boards. "I didn't think we played good defense the first two quarters. That's not who we are. We are a defensive team first. At halftime, we said we had to come out and play defense first."

A 14-0 burst to open the third gave the Jazz a 71-53 advantage after a dunk by Gobert with 7:40 left into the quarter. Hayward scored 14 points in the third on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Jazz outscored the Lakers 32-21. Gobert put up nine points in the period.

The Jazz grabbed a 57-53 lead at halftime, connecting on 52.4 percent of their shots vs. 46.8 percent for Los Angeles. The Jazz made 42.1 percent (8 of 19) from 3-point range compared to 37.5 percent (3 of 8) for the Lakers.

For the game, Utah hit 47.5 percent and L.A. 44.8 percent. The Jazz made 13 of 32 (40.6 percent) of their 3-pointers to the Lakers' 5 of 14 (35.7 percent).

The injury bug bit the Lakers again. Backup forward-center Tarik Black suffered a sprained right ankle in the third quarter and did not return. Black finished with seven points and five rebounds in 11 minutes.

"It's been tough," Clarkson said of the rash of injuries. "We are kind of short-handed right now. We just have to figure out a way of winning games."

NOTES: Lakers G Lou Williams made a free throw for the 31st game in a row, a streak that stretches back to last season. It is the longest active streak for a reserve player. ... Lakers PG D'Angelo Russell (sore right knee) will be re-evaluated Tuesday. Russell has missed nine games. ... Jazz F Derrick Favors (left knee bone contusion) sat out his 10th consecutive contest. There is no timetable for his return. ... Los Angeles is 23-10 against Utah at Staples Center. ... The two clubs meet again Dec. 27 at Staples. ... The Jazz host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Lakers visit the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Top Game Performances
 
Utah   L.A. Lakers
Gordon Hayward 23 Scoring Lou Williams 38
Shelvin Mack 7 Assists Lou Williams 7
Rudy Gobert 17 Rebounds Julius Randle 11
Rudy Gobert 6 Free Throws Made Lou Williams 8
Gordon Hayward 2 Steals Tarik Black 2
Rudy Gobert 5 Blocks Brandon Ingram 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Utah 107 47.5 13-32 18-29 26 39 7 5 12
L.A. Lakers 101 44.8 5-14 18-23 15 43 1 8 11
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Houston. The Lakers have a W/L % of .300 after a win and .538 after a loss.
  • Utah will play their next game at home against Phoenix. The Jazz have a W/L % of .583 after a win and .600 after a loss.